Hurting
by Soulless Light
Summary: "Nothing," she squeaked meekly. "Nothing is wrong. I'm fine…I'm always fine…" To Harry it seemed as if she was trying to reassure herself more then she was him. AU.
1. Secrets Reveled

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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Hermione entered the Hogwarts Express, levitating her trunk behind her. The war was over. The Light side had won. Harry had vanquished Voldemort and the Death Eaters were no more. The Golden Trio, as they were dubbed by many around the wizarding world, had decided to come back to Hogwarts to finish their seventh and final year.

"Did you hear…?"

"I heard she got so mad that she Stupefied all twenty Death Eaters before the Aurous could arrive…."

Hermione continued to walk to the compartment she, Harry and Ron shared, ignoring the gossip she knew centered around her, wanting nothing more than to stop and shout that her life was none of their concern and to keep whatever they knew about her from spilling out of their fat gossip filled mouths.

Harry heard the door to the compartment he and Ron shared slid open. He turned and saw Hermione make her entrance, stowing her trunk away before sitting across from where he and Ron presided. The moment she entered Harry could sense something was off with their normally happy female friend. "Hello," she greeted, and Harry could sense the change in her voice as well. To him it seemed that her voice had grown slightly colder.

Beside him Ron fidgeted nervously in his seat at her tone. "Hello, Hermione," he replied, averting his eyes to stare out the window.

"Hello, 'Mione," Harry greeted warmly. The trio sat there in silence for twenty minutes, each occupied by their own thing; Ron, for example, was busy finishing up an essay for Transfigurations that they were assigned over the summer break; Harry was staring out the window while thinking to himself; and Hermione was reading a muggle novel titled _The Truth About Forever._

Their heads snapped up when they heard the compartment door open and watched as Ron's little sister Ginny and Draco Malfoy stepped in. Ron growled and Ginny shot him a hard glare. "Hello, Harry, Hermione, and Ron," she chirped happily at the three.

Draco grunted, but gave them a greeting when Ginny elbowed him in the ribs. "Hello," he grumbled rather reluctantly.

Hermione was the only one that made a move to greet him back. "Hello, Draco. How are you and your mum doing?"

"Mum's fine," Draco said, and they thought they saw sympathy flash in his steely grey eyes for a moment. "How are you doing?"

The other three occupants shot them quizzical glances. "I'm fine. Just adjusting," she answered cryptically.

With a nod, Draco announced, "Ginny and I must be going. Neville lost his toad again and we're helping him find it."

With a final wave from Ginny the compartment door was shut and the three best friends were alone again. "'Mione?" Harry looked her straight in the eye. "Is there something Ron and I should know about?"

"Of course not, what would I have to hide from my best friends?" she asked, seemingly offended.

"May I join you?" a dreamy voice questioned from the compartment doorway, stopping Harry from questioning Hermione further. Ron's cheeks grew slightly pink when he recognized the voice of Luna Lovegood.

"Sure," Hermione answered absentmindedly, returning to her novel. Luna nodded her thanks and seated herself close to Ron.

"You should really get dressed in your school robes; I suspect we should be nearing Hogsmeade Station soon," Luna voiced, already dressed in her school robes, staring dreamily at Ron. Harry excused himself, taking his school robes bundled under his arm with him. Shortly after Harry left Hermione placed a bookmark in her book and excused herself silently.

"Hermione has been acting a little strange lately. Don't you think, Luna?" he stuttered, shifting his gaze so he kept his eyes on everything except for the blonde Ravenclaw.

"Indeed," Luna agreed. "Do you, by any chance, know what is troubling her so?" Luna inquired, tilting her head to the side.

Ron shook his head. "No. Even I, the one who supposedly has the emotional range of a teaspoon, can tell that something is deeply bothering her. The only problem is that I don't know what it is."

"Perhaps Harry would know?" Luna suggested. "He is her best friend, after all."

Again, Ron shook his head. "No. She hasn't told him either."

Just then the train came to a rather unannounced stop, causing Ron to fly out of his seat and land on Luna. "S-sorry!" he squeaked, jumping off of her with his cheeks tainted pink.

"It's alright," Luna dismissed as she stood and brushed herself off before gathering her belongings. "Shall we go?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Harry and Hermione to come back?" Ron stood also, gathering his belongings.

Luna giggled. "Yes, of course. Silly me, always forgetting these type of stuff," just then Harry and Hermione burst through the door, their clothes slightly wrinkled from the havoc of the huge group of Hogwarts students all trying to get off the train as soon as possible.

The four exited the train when the mob had calmed and the people who hung back to wait out the crowd exited as well. Picking an empty carriage the four took seats and started their silent ride to Hogwarts.

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"We have won the war with the help of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley. But we have also suffered losses. Many of you have a loved one or loved ones that died in the war and for others he haven't lost somebody in the course of the war consider yourselves lucky. With Voldemort gone we can finally move out of the dark shadows that pledged us for so long and move on to a brighter future for the young wizards and witches that are here today and will continue going to Hogwarts in the years to come. Now, with that done, let us move on to sorting the first years into their respective houses," Headmistress McGonagall announced.

The first years were called up to the sorting hat in order of last names and placed into their houses. Soon after the feast had started and everyone was trying to stuff down as much of the food they could at one time. Hermione cringed as she looked at Ron haphazardly stuffing food down his throat. She hadn't even touched most of her food all throughout the meal, causing her to receive concerned looks from Harry. Suddenly the food on everyone's plates disappeared, signaling the end of the feast.

"Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl please come up here!" The Headmistress called the two Prefects form each house and the Heads both scrambled out of their seats and too were the Headmistress was standing. She pulled the Prefects aside, told them the password in order to enter their houses common room and dismissed them with strict instructions to show the first years the way to the common rooms. "I'm so glad that the Heads are both Gryffindors this year," McGonagall commented. "Alright, since you are the Heads you get your own common room located on the seventh floor behind the statue of the knight. The password to get in is Chocolate Frog." Both students smiled at the password. Clearly McGonagall was still trying to keep Dumbledore's memory alive by making the password a sweet treat. "Dismissed," the Headmistress told them, smiling a bit to herself. With a polite nod her way, Harry and Hermione were gone.

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"I'm going to go unpack," Hermione said, making her way up the steps to her individual Heads dorm room.

"Okay. Ron, Ginny, and I are going to go practice Quidditch for a little while; feel free to come and watch us practice, if you want," Harry called after Hermione.

With his Firebolt set securely on his shoulder he exited the common room the way he had originally came.

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Hermione sat on the couch in the common room, staring at a picture of her parents and herself with watery eyes when she heard the pounding of footsteps coming up behind her and hastily wiped the tears dripping down her cheeks. A weight set themselves at the other end of the couch, but she couldn't bear to face her best friend with her face all red and blotchy from crying. "It felt so good to be out there again!" Harry sighed, stretching as he relaxed into the couch. When he heard no reply from Hermione he turned to face her. "'Mione? Is there something wrong? You've been acting weird lately. You know, out of touch and reserved. If there is something wrong you can tell me, I am your best friend."

She still didn't turn so he could see her face. "Nothing," she squeaked meekly. "Nothing is wrong. I'm fine…I'm always fine…" to Harry it seemed as if she was trying to reassure herself more then she was him.

He sighed; grabbing her chin he twisted her head gently so he could see her face. He let out a strangled gasp upon seeing her blotchy face, the tear tracks still obvious. "Hermione! You've been crying! Tell me what's wrong! Now!" he demanded.

She frowned and pulled her face from his grasp. "I told you, Harry! Nothing's wrong!"

"Then why are your eyes blood shot and your face red and blotchy, huh!? There's no use hiding it, Hermione. I know you've been crying." He lowered his voice. "Just, please, 'Mione, tell me what's wrong." He pleaded.

She swallowed. "How…how did you feel when you lost Sirius, Harry?"

Well, he certainly wasn't expecting that. But he answered anyway. "It felt like the whole world was against me. Like no one could understand the pain that ripped me apart each time I thought about him."

"I understand how who must've felt now, Harry."

"What do you mean, Hermione?"

"Well, you know how I went to Australia to restore my parent's memory this summer?" he nodded, motioning her to continue. "When I got there my parents neighbor told me they had been killed when a drunk driver smashed into their car. She also told me that they had already been buried. I felt so lost. So alone. And the worst part was I didn't even get to attend their funeral. Their own daughter didn't attend their funeral." Half way through her voice cracked and the water works started. He scoped her up in his arms protectively. "That's not all," she whispered between sobbing and hic ups.

"What else is there to tell me, Hermione?"

"When I was their visiting their grave sites twenty of the remaining Death Eaters tried to attack me." After hearing this Harry tightened his grip. "I was just so angry at the time that I managed to Stupefy all twenty before the Aurous showed up." Next thing he knew he heard light snoring and looked down to see Hermione asleep against his chest. He smiled softly and picked her up bridal style, carrying up to her bedroom and setting her down on her bed. Once he had her nicely tucked in he found himself staring at her slightly parted lips. Shaking himself out of his trance he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, 'Mione," he said softly before exiting the room and closing her door with a soft click. "If only you knew how much I really loved you."

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_Hope you enjoyed. Should I keep this an oneshot or_ _continue you it? Tell me in a review._


	2. Formulating Plans

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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The doors to the Great Hall opened and a bushy haired girl walked in, making her way to the Gryffindor table and to her seat in-between her two best male friends. As she walked the whispered rumors about her started up again. Despite being close to her boiling point she calmly took her seat, pilling food onto her plate.

"I heard she didn't even go to the funeral. What kind of daughter does that?" A girl whispered to her friend some way away from Hermione, but she heard it anyway. Her fork stopped scrapping against the plate and she stood.

That was it.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Excuse me," Hermione hissed, slamming her hands on the table and speed walking out of the Great Hall before Harry or Ron could stop her.

From the Slytherin table Harry saw Draco shot the girls a nasty glare before heading after Hermione.

'_Since when have Hermione and Malfoy gotten so close,' _Harry thought angrily. He shot the girls his own withering glare before heading to find Hermione and Draco.

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"Hermione?" Draco called softly when he saw the brunette sitting against one of the stone walls, her face cupped in her hands. On her part Hermione sobbed louder for an answer. She heard Draco approaching and felt him slide down the wall to wrap his arm around her and pull her closer. "Don't worry. Those girls were jerks; they don't know what they're talking about." Draco hushed.

"But they were right. I didn't go to their funeral." She wailed.

"How could you, Hermione? You were too busy helping Potter with the war. And you also couldn't visit them because you were too afraid that the Death Eaters would figure out where you were hiding them and kill them. You did it for their safety. You didn't know what would happen; so stop blaming yourself," Draco instructed, squeezing her shoulder gently.

She hiccupped. "Draco, do you ever miss your father?"

He snorted like he could care less that his father was dead, but admitted, "Yes, sometimes. But not most of the time because he acted like an arse to my mum."

Hermione laughed a little. "Who knew the Prince of Slytherin could be so protective of his mum."

Draco nudged her playfully, smirking. "Shut it, Granger."

"Oh, going back to last names are we now, Malfoy?"

"I think I like my first name better, thank you," he insisted. Standing, Draco offered his hands to Hermione. When she took them he hoisted her back up to her feet.

"Thanks, Draco," Hermione smiled and gave him a hug.

"No problem," he replied, hugging her back.

Harry had heard Hermione's and Draco's voices coming from the hallway and turned the corner, only to see Hermione and Draco hugging. _'I suppose they don't want to be interrupted.' _Harry thought, turning sharply on his heel and stalking away.

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"Have you seen Harry lately, Ron?" Ron shook his head, going back to inhaling his food. Hermione grimaced at his repulsive eating habits. Honestly, what did Luna see in him? "Well, when was the last time you saw him?"

Ron looked up. "I saw him heading towards the Heads dorm when I was stepping out of the common room." He said, spitting out his mouth full of chewed up food in chunks all over the table. Hermione swore she felt her left eye twitch slightly in disgust. Silently, she excused herself and left the Great Hall in search of The Boy Who Conquered.

"Did you find out what was wrong with Hermione?" the blonde Ravenclaw questioned as she sat herself in front of the red haired Weasley.

He swallowed before answering Luna, wanting to appear polite in front of his crush. "No. And she's acting even weirder! Like, today she didn't even complain about how I talk with my mouth full! We need to find out what's wrong with her." Ron stated.

"Well, I might be able to help. I have come up with a plan." Luna said.

"What is it?"

"First we need other people to help us."

"How many people do you need to help us?" Ron asked.

"About two other people,"

"I'm sure I can get Ginny and Neville to help us."

"Okay, here is the plan…"

Ron listened intently until Luna was finished. "Once you find them meet me in the Room of Requirement." Ron nodded and took off.

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"Harry? Are you in here?" Hermione asked as she walked into the Heads common room.

"Yeah," he called back a little bitterly from the couch.

Hermione joined him on the maroon couch. "Hey. Why weren't you at dinner?"

"Wasn't hungry," he grumbled, staring into the fire.

Hermione sighed heavily. "What's wrong, Harry?"

"Nothing's wrong!" He snapped.

"Harry, don't lie to me, I know when something is wrong. Just tell me what's bothering you," she reasoned.

He couldn't stop what came out of his mouth next, "Why did you hug Malfoy in the hallway?"

"Oh…you saw that?" Hermione questioned.

"Yeah," Harry hissed.

She looked a little taken aback by the tone of his voice, but continued on anyway, "He wanted to know if I was okay after I stormed out of the Great Hall earlier today."

"I thought you hated Malfoy."

"I don't hate him anymore."

"Why? What happened to make you not hate him anymore?"

"At the finale battle his father tried to take me out and he Stupefied him when he tried to attack me when my back was turned," Hermione explained.

"You're _friends _with him? You must be kidding me?" Harry asked, incredulously.

"Yes, we're friends. And, no, Harry, I'm not kidding," she drawled like Harry was hard on hearing. "Didn't I just explain that?"

"Does he know?" Harry demanded.

"Know what?" Hermione asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Does he know about your parents?" he asked a little impatiently.

"Yes, he knows."

"How!?" his eyes narrowed further then they were already as he stared into the crackling fire.

Hermione's eyes widened, looking even more taken aback. "I told him," she said calmly.

"You told him before you told me! You told damn Malfoy before you told me!? You're best friend!?" Harry turned furiously on the coach to face Hermione, angry fire seemingly burning in his eyes.

"It's not like I could of Owled you and told you, 'Hey, my parents are dead. You mind dropping everything your doing and come visit me?' now could I?"

"I would have come!"

"I couldn't bear to pull you away from what you were doing!"

"It wouldn't matter!" They were now standing up, exchanging heated words.

"You deserved some peace for once!"

"Still, you refused to tell me even after the summer was over!"

"I saw how happy you were and couldn't find it in myself to ruin that!"

"So you sought comfort in Malfoy of all people!?"

"What are you implying, Harry!?"

"Wow, the Smartest Witch of Her Age can't figure something out for once!"

"What is that supposed to mean!?"

"Nothing! I'm leaving!" with that Harry turned on his heel and stomped out of the common room feverishly.

Hermione stood in the middle of the common room, breathing heavily and trying to calm her flustered nerves. "What just happened?" Hermione mumbled to herself, climbing the stairs to her dormitory with the adrenalin from the yelling match still flowing freshly through her veins.

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"Why did you call us here?" Ginny asked Luna and Ron from her position next to Neville on the couch the room had summoned.

Ron shot his sister a determined look. "We called you here because we want to find out what's wrong with Hermione," he stated. "You in?" he asked Ginny and Neville, shifting his eyes from one to another.

Ginny gave him an annoyed look. "I would, if I didn't already know what's wrong with her, as you put it."

Ron leaned in eagerly. "Well? What is it?"

"If I tell you then you can't tell Hermione or anybody else I told you, okay?"

"Okay. Now, tell me," Ron demanded.

"Fine," she took a death breath and started.

"Wow…" Luna trailed off, tears shining in her eyes. Ron and Neville nodded mutely, not able to form words that would express the amount of surprise they were feeling. Ginny nodded.

"Yeah," the youngest Weasley commented. "She's been feeling down lately. It's quite obvious." Ginny frowned, seeming to be thinking hard. "She needs a boyfriend!" Ginny yelled.

"What? What makes you think she'll want a boyfriend to make her happy?" Ron spit out, nearly chocking on his spit from hearing Ginny's suggestion.

"I just know!" Ginny retorted. "Oh! And you know who would be the perfect candidate to be her boyfriend!? Harry!" the red head cried out happily.

Ron started to cough, having really chocked on his spit this time; Luna sighed dreamily; and Neville stared blankly at Ginny, his eyes widening so much that they might have actually popped out of his head if he manged to widen them any farther.

"You know, Ginny, you might actually be on to something," Luna commented.

"Thank you!"

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_Well, the reviews have spoken and they want me to continue this so I am._

_Hope you enjoyed. Please review._


	3. Old Enemy to New Allie

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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"Everyone know the plan?" Luna questioned. They all nodded.

"Okay, dismissed for the night. Neville, better head back to the Gryffindor common room before curfew. Ginny, Ron and I have to do our rounds soon." Neville nodded, taking Luna's advice.

"Do you really think this plan will work?" Ron asked, glancing back and forth between his sister and the blonde Ravenclaw.

A mischievous smirk curled at the end of Luna's lips. "Of course it will work, Ron," Luna assured him patting him on the shoulder. "Besides, you'll only have to flirt with Hermione until Harry gets really jealous."

"I'm not worried about that," Ron grumbled. "I'm worried about Harry hexing me to the next century."

Ginny waved her hand in the air in a dismissive manner. "Don't worry, Harry isn't that scary. I'm sure he won't do anything permanent, at least."

Ron grimaced. "Let's hope not."

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The next morning Ron arrived at the Gryffindor table to a silent Harry and Hermione. "What's wrong?" he instantly questioned seeing that Harry and Hermione weren't talking to each other, which rarely ever happened.

"Nothing," Hermione snapped before going back to eating her cooling breakfast.

Ron turned to Harry for an explanation. Harry shook his head and mouthed that he would tell Ron later. In turn Ron nodded and started to pile an array of food choices on his plate.

Thirty minutes later Harry stood and motioned for Ron to come with him. "Hermione, are you coming?" Ron's question was meet with a hand wave as a signal to go ahead without her.

"So, what happened between you and Hermione," Ron questioned when they were outside of the doors of the Great Hall.

Harry sighed. "It's a long story."

"I have time," Ron responded, thinking about how Harry's story would affect The Plan as it had been dubbed for the lack of better name.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Harry sighed heavily before launching into the story beginning with Hermione storming out of the Great Hall and ending with him storming out of their shared common room.

At the end of the story Ron whistled lowly. "Wow, you really blew your top. Didn't you, Harry?" He chuckled as Harry glared at him.

"It's not funny, Ron!" he said through gritted teeth. "She's friends with Malfoy of all people now! She's friends with the person who used to call her a Mudblood daily! How can you find that funny!?" Harry hissed.

"People change, Harry," Ron tried to reason.

"Not Malfoy," Harry spat the name out.

"You're only saying that because you're jealous."

"What do I have to be jealous of? Certainly not Malfoy," The Boy Who Lived shot back.

"You're jealous of his and Hermione's friendship."

"Since when do you take sides?"

"I'm not taking sides, Harry. I'm simply trying to reason with you."

"No, you're not. You're taking sides."

Ron shot him a look. "Be reasonable, Harry. You're jealous. And you know why you're jealous? Because you think there is something more than friendship going on between Hermione and Malfoy."

"I do not!" Harry defended himself.

"You do."

"Do not!"

"How long have you been in love with Hermione, Harry?"

"I…I'm not in love with her!"

"Come on, I can see it and I'm supposedly the one who is supposed to have the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Harry sighed, defeated. "Fine, I'll admit it. I'm in love with Hermione."

"How long have you loved her?"

"I think I realized it during the Final Battle. But I think I fell in love with her in fifth year when she was hit in the Department of Mysteries by that curse and I just didn't know what it was until the Final Battle. In my head I could hear all of you screaming for me to win, but her voice was the loudest."

"That's deep," Ron commented.

"Yeah, I guess. And I guess you are right. I am jealous of Malfoy and Hermione's friendship."

Suddenly an idea dawned on Ron. "I'm sorry, Harry, I have to go. I forgot something in the Great Hall," with that rushed goodbye Ron turned on his heel and speed walked back to the Great Hall without waiting for Harry's replay.

"Okay then," Harry muttered to himself, watching Ron practically running down the hallway.

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The doors to the Great Hall slammed open and Ron rushed in. "Ginny! Neville!" he gasped as he reached them, breathless from his run.

"What is it, Ron?" Ginny asked.

"Where is Luna? I have a modification in the plan." Ron said, breathing normally again.

"What is it?" Neville questioned.

"I'll tell you when we find Luna. Now, come on." He ushered them to the Ravenclaw table, were they saw Luna sitting alone.

"Luna," Ron plopped down in the seat across from Luna, Ginny and Neville on either side of him, "I have a change to The Plan."

"What is it?" she asked in her normal dreamy voice.

"Instead of me flirting with Hermione why don't we have Malfoy do it?"

"WHAT?" Luna, Neville, and Ginny yelled in unison.

"Just trust me. It seems like her and Malfoy have some sort of friendship going on now."

"WHAT? EXPLAIN!" they all yelled again, causing all the Ravenclaws to shot them annoyed glares from the other end of the table which they ignored.

Ron cringed at the volume of their voices. "Fine…." Ron agreed and told them the story that Harry had told him. By the end of the story Luna, Neville, and Ginny were sitting there, wide eyed and mouths agape.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ginny breathed.

Ron shook his head. "No, it's all true. And Harry is jealous of their friendship."

"So," Luna began, "what you're saying is that Malfoy would make Harry jealous faster than you would?"

"Exactly!" the read head chirped happily.

"But," Ginny butted in, "do you really think Malfoy would agree to help us with The Plan?"

"If he gets to make Harry angry in the process I think he'll agree to anything," Neville supplied.

"Yeah," Luna agreed.

"How are we supposed to get him to agree?" Ginny asked.

Ron scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I didn't think that far ahead…" Ron trailed off sheepishly.

They sat there thinking hard, when Luna suddenly burst out, "I got it!"

"What is it?" The other three asked eagerly.

"Here it is…" they all listened attentively. "Got it?" the three Gryffindors nodded. "Okay, meet me in the Room of Requirement after classes are over, and be sure to bring Malfoy."

"Okay," the all answered and headed off to their respective classes.

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"Malfoy," Ron called, trailing behind the Slytherin in the hallways after class.

"What is it, Weasley?" Draco asked as Ron caught up with him.

"How would you like an opportunity to piss Harry off?" the red head questioned.

A smirk curled at the end of the blonde lips. "I'm listening."

"Follow me and I'll explain everything." He turned down the hall and Draco followed.

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"Hermione?" Harry called softly as he entered their shared Heads common room.

"What is it, Harry?" she snapped from the couch where she was sitting, reading her muggle novel again.

Harry sighed, something he found himself doing constantly these days, and seated himself on the opposite side of Hermione. "I'm sorry. I overreacted yesterday." He turned to her, sincerity shining deeply in his bottle green eyes.

Hermione turned to him as well, smiling softly. "It's alright, Harry." She enveloped him in a hug.

Resting his chin on the top of her head he inhaled her cinnamon scent. "I was being a prat. If you want to be friends with Malfoy you can. After all, I can't choose who becomes your friend and who doesn't." He whispered softly into her hair.

She smiled in the crock of his neck, tickling his sensitive skin. "I'm glad you're not mad at me anymore, Harry."

"I don't think I could ever stay made at you for too long, 'Mione," Harry admitted.

"I don't think I could stay mad at you for to long either, Harry," Hermione said.

Harry pulled away, albeit reluctantly. "I have to go to Quidditch practice."

"See you later," Hermione called after him, curling up with her book on the couch again.

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"So…you're saying you want me to flirt with Hermione to make Potter angry?" Draco asked from his place on the couch the room had summoned. The group of three Gryffindors and one Ravenclaw nodded. "And you guarantee this little pan of yours will piss Potter off?" They nodded again.

Draco smirked. "Then sign me up."

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_I don't know what's up with me lately I just feeling the constant need to update this story._

_Hope you enjoyed. Please review._


	4. Disagreements

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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Harry and Hermione exited their shared common room, laughing. Suddenly, Harry frowned. There he was, Draco Malfoy, leaning coolly on the adjacent wall. "What is it, Harry?" Hermione questioned, turning to see who he was frowning at. "Oh, hello, Draco," she greeted the blonde warmly. "What brings you here?"

The Malfoy heir smirked. "I'm here to walk you to the Great Hall for breakfast," he informed, strolling up to the pair and shooting Harry an almost testing look over the top of Hermione's head.

She smiled at him. "That would be nice of you, Draco." She spun on her heel to face Harry again. "Do you mind if I go ahead, Harry?"

The addressed boy forced a smile on his lips and said, "Not at all, Hermione."

"Thanks." She hugged him and turned back around to accompany Draco to the Great Hall.

Harry let them get a good ten feet ahead before trailing behind them slowly. Although Harry did not know what Draco was telling Hermione, he knew it was making her smile and laugh ever few minutes.

'_That's how she should be acting with me right now, not that Malfoy prat,'_ Harry hissed in his head. As he looked at her, though, his eyes softened. _'But at least he's making her happy. And I'm happy when 'Mione is happy.'_ Harry took quick strides to catch up to them, smiling as he did so. If he could not make her smile and laugh he would at least see what was and bask in her joy with her.

"…then her face turned this nasty shade of red and she spit fire from her mouth!" Draco told Hermione; she laughed and both boys smiled at the brunette.

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They stopped a few paces from the entrance door to the Great Hall and Draco kissed Hermione's cheek. Draco looked over her head and spotted Harry frowning. That frown quickly turned into a smile, however, as Hermione took Harry's hand in her hand and waved at Draco. "See you later, Draco," Hermione called happily.

"Bye, Hermione!" Draco called back.

'_It seems like it's working, but Harry was smiling when he caught up to us…I guess I'll just have to try harder.'_

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"Okay, class, partner up and get working on your potion!" Slughorn announced merely.

Just when Harry was getting ready to ask Hermione to be his partner Malfoy beat him to it. She accepted the Slytherin's offer, and Harry sulked while going to pair with another Gryffindor.

Harry and his partner were at the station just behind Hermione's and Draco's work space and therefore had to bear witness to the flirting Draco was doing with the ever so oblivious Hermione. He growled, and his partner scooted away cautiously. _'Damn Malfoy. What is he trying to pull with Hermione? Sleazy snake bastard,'_ he thought, stirring his potion with a little more vigor then was necessary as he witnessed Draco 'accidently' brush his hand against Hermione's waist.

'_That's it! Damn snake bastard is going down!'_

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'_Yes, Potter is getting pissed. It's working!' _Draco thought giddily in his head as he added the last ingredient and watched as his and Hermione's potion turned the appropriate shade of lavender.

"We're done!" Hermione chirped happily. "Good work, Draco!" she praised; the addressed boy turned his head to the side and gave Hermione a warm smile.

"Thanks, Hermione. And I must say, you did an excellent job as well," he praised her in return.

"You're welcome, Draco, and thanks. Now, let's go turn this in, shall we?"

"We shall," Draco replied. He smirked when he felt Harry's glare burn into his back with more irritation then before. They made their way to Slughorn's desk quickly and handed the potion to him for grading.

A smile stretched across the old man's face. "Excellent, Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, this potion is perfect! You may pack your stuff and head out." They nodded and went back to their work station to clean their mess and gather their belongings before departing.

Even as Draco left the classroom he could still feel the intense glare on his back, trailing him as he walked to the door. He smirked and turned to Harry, shooting him a challenging look before existing closely after Hermione.

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Harry and his partner finished their potion not far behind Draco and Hermione. After hearing Slughorn's praises and cleaning his work station he shot out of the classroom like a bat out of hell, frantically searching for his best friend.

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After ten minutes of recklessly searching everywhere for his best friend Harry finally came to his senses and decided to check the library.

He found her in the back of the library in her favorite alcove near the big bay window, staring out at the grounds idly. "'Mione?" he questioned, creeping closer.

She turned, breaking out of her daze and smiling kindly at him. "Hello, Harry. What brings you to the library of all places?" she teased.

He smiled at her. "I do come here sometimes. Of course, almost all those times is because _somebody _likes to drag me with her." He joined her in the tiny alcove, squishing himself into the tiny space beside her.

It was silent for a few minutes, before Harry spoke up. "You know, I think Ron, Luna, Ginny, and Neville are worried about you," Harry voiced, locking his concerned eyes with Hermione's brown eyes.

"I know that, Harry. I see the way they look at me with pity. Its how everyone else looks at me, save you and Draco and Luna, of course." Harry tensed at Draco's name.

"I'm just saying you should tell them."

"Why? It's not like they don't already know from all the gossip that has been circling around me since the beginning of the year."

"I just think they would worry less if you opened up to them, told them about it yourself."

Hermione scoffed, angling her head to stare out the window instead of Harry's sharp gaze. "Can't I keep any aspect of my life to myself?"

"Of course you can, Hermione. But I'm just saying there are your friends and you can trust them."

"I know I can trust them, Harry. I'm…I'm just not ready to tell them. I thought you would be able to understand that, Harry."

"'Mione…" Harry began, but the lunch bell rang throughout the castle.

"See you later, Harry," Hermione said, her voice steely as she slung her satchel across her shoulder and took quick strides out the door.

Harry sighed. _'It seems like I can't talk to 'Mione the way I used to. She's not the same. I miss the happy her. I want the happy her like today when she was laughing and smiling with _Malfoy_ in the hallway instead of the depressed her like in the Heads common room the first night back.'_ Harry sighed heavier this time.

'_I want my 'Mione back.'_

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"It's raining outside," Hermione observed later that night as she sat near their bay window in their shared Heads common room. Lightning flashed dimly in the distance behind the brunette Gryffindor's head.

Harry peered at the back of her head for a second before flicking his eyes back to focus on his Transfiguration homework. "Yeah?" he questioned, going back to scratching his quill against his parchment.

"Let's play Truth," Hermione suggested, still not looking away from the scene outside of the large window.

"How do you play that?" Harry asked, working out a cramp he had acquired from writing so much after finishing his Transfigurations' essay.

"The other player asks you a question that you either choice to answer or pass. When you pass the other person can either chose to answer the question to win or pass, resulting in a tie. If you chose to answer the question you cannot lie, hence the name of the game Truth."

Harry shrugged. "Sure, I'll play."

"Okay, you ask me the first question."

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Draco sighed; taking a seat on the couch the room had summoned in-between Neville and Ginny.

"How did it go?" Luna asked dreamily.

"It went fine. I'm thinking that we might have to start working on the second phase of the plan soon, though," Draco answered, blowing a stray strand of platinum blonde hair from his pale face.

"Well, how long does phase one have to be in progress before phase two can commence?" Ginny questioned curiously from next to Draco.

"My estimate is at least until a week before the first Hogsmeade weekend," Draco stated.

"Hold on," Ginny inputted, 'you're aren't thinking of that, are you…?"

A smirk curled on Draco's lips. "That is exactly what I'm thinking."

Luna smiled. "That's a brilliant idea! Let's get working!"

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It was now ten and the game had been going no stop between the two best friends since nine. Hermione yawned. "I'm tired. I think I'll be heading to bed now; we'll pick up the game where we left off tomorrow, okay?" Harry nodded is conformation. "Goodnight, Harry," she called as she climbed the stairs to her dorm.

"Goodnight, 'Mione," Harry called back faintly. The next question that he would have to save for tomorrow to ask Hermione rang in his head.

'_What was your favorite memory as a kid, 'Mione?'_

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_I hope you enjoyed._

_Please review._


	5. Letting It Out

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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"I wonder who's going to ask me too Hogsmeade!" a girl squealed with her friends three seats down from where the Golden Trio sat eating their lunches at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione rolled her eyes, standing from the table and grabbing her satchel. "I'm going to go read under our tree near the Black Lake," she informed her two best male friends before turning on her heel and leisurely walking out of the Great Hall.

Once Hermione was out of earshot Ron turned on Harry. "Why don't you ask Hermione to Hogsmeade, Harry?"

Harry flushed, trying to shush Ron. "Why? All she sees me as is her best friend, Ron. There is no way she'll agree to go with me."

"You never know," a dreamy voice input, plopping down on the seat Hermione had occupied minutes before.

Harry turned to look at the blonde Ravenclaw. "Trust me, I know. Besides, Malfoy will probably ask her to go with him."

Luna gave him a phony surprised look complete with wide questioning eyes. "Why do you think Malfoy of all people will ask her? I thought they hated each other."

"They don't anymore," Harry hissed through clenched teeth, trying to surpass his growing anger.

"I still don't understand. How did they come to not hate each other anymore?" Luna leaned onto the Gryffindor table, resting her chin in her hand.

"Of course you don't." Harry sighed. "Ron? Do you mind telling her the story? I'm getting tired of repeating it."

"Sure, mate." Ron told the story again exactly how Harry had told it when telling it to him for the first time, although Luna had already heard it once before.

Luna snorted as the story drew to a close. "I would have never thought I'd live to see the day that a Slytherin and a Gryffindor would be friends," she commented, leaning back away from the table.

"Me neither," Ron added. "Especially if that Slytherin just happened to be Malfoy and that Gryffindor just happened to be Hermione."

"I guess it proves that miracles do happen." Ron nodded in agreement to Luna's statement.

The Boy Who Lived decided to add in his troubles at this point. "Yes, they're friends; but it seems like Malfoy wants to be something more with Hermione then just friends."

Ron barely swooshed the snigger that was threatening to escape from his throat, choosing to cover it with a cough instead. "What could possible make you think that Malfoy wants to be more than just friends with Hermione?"

"Yesterday while we were in Potions Malfoy 'accidently' brushed his hand over Hermione's waist."

"So," Luna began, "by the way you put air quotes around the word accidently, you don't think it was an accident at all?"

"Of course I don't think it was accidental," Harry grumbled, stabbing what was left of his eggs crossly.

"Okay," Ron drawled. "Then why don't you go and ask Hermione before Malfoy can under the bases that it's just an outing between friends, no romantic fellings what so ever involved?"

Harry gave him a look between astonished and frightened. "Did someone put something in your food today, Ron? Because what you just said actually sounded intelligent," Harry spoke, scooting down the bench and away from Ron.

Ron took on a mock wounded voice. "I have my moments to you know, Harry."

"Sure you do, Ron, sure you do."

"I'll ignore that last comment, Harry. Now, what are you waiting for? Go and use my brilliant idea to ask Hermione to go to Hogsmeade with you."

Harry sighed begrudgingly. "Fine," he answered before grabbing his school bag and walking nervously out of the Great Hall.

Once Harry was out of earshot Luna spoke, "Did Malfoy ask her yet?"

"He should have by now," Ron answered. "Do you think this will work?"

"We have a fifty-fifty chance of Harry acting the way we anticipated for him to act."

"I think we should take that chance and slim it down to a, like, thirty five percent chance."

"Why would we do that?"

Ron sighed, blowing out air from his nose. "You know Harry always puts others happiness above his own; and that means he'll be happy for Hermione who ever she may chose to be with, even if it's not him."

"I know that, Ron. But those two have something special between them. I've trust you've seen it to after seven years of being their best friend."

"Yes, I've seen it. I've seen it so many times that I have lost count."

"Trust me, Ron, they will get together in the end; be it by our meddling or their own free will, they will get together I'm sure of that fact."

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"'Mione?" the Boy Who Lived questioned lightly as he reached the tree Hermione was reading under, wrapped in a scarf, jeans, worn out Converse, and Harry's old black pullover sweatshirt that went past her butt.

She turned and smiled at her best friend. "Yes, Harry?" she asked, patting the spot next to her on the grass as if to give him an invitation to join her.

"You know that Hogsmeade weekend that's coming up?" she nodded, and he continued, "Well, I was wondering if…if you're joining Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, and I?" Harry said, chickening out at the last second.

"Oh, about that, I won't be able to join you guys this time," she confessed.

"Why?" Harry inquired curiously.

"Well, Draco kind of asked me to go with him and I said I would," she answered, returning to her muggle novel cradled in her lap.

"Oh." Maybe it was just Hermione but she swore she heard dejection in his voice. "You and Malfoy are just going as friends, right?"

"Of course, Harry. You know Draco just lost his dad and, though he won't admit it, he needs someone to be there for him."

Harry didn't know what came over him but he suddenly became angry. "What about you, Hermione? You need someone there for you, but every time I try to be there for you, you push me away," Harry blurted out.

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry, I'm perfectly fine," she reassured him, appearing angry as she stood and grabbed her things before walking away as a signal that the conversation was over.

As she walked away he stood also and followed, not intending to let the subject just be dropped. Of course he wouldn't let that happen; anything that involved Hermione's happiness was worth fighting for, even if he had to fight her.

"No, you're not fine! You think I can't see? Well, guess what? I can see!" At his outburst she stopped dead in her tracks. "Why won't you open up to me, too anyone, huh, don't you see, Hermione!? I can help you!" His voice faltered as he continued on, "Please, 'Mione…just tell me, open up to me…I'm…I'm begging you."

When she spoke her voice was cold, like it was made out of hardened stone. "I already told you everything, Harry."

His voice was a broken whisper, just loud enough for the brunette Head Girl to make out. "I can tell you didn't tell me everything, Hermione. I'm not as dense as you think, you know." His voice became stronger and rose in volume. "Stop hiding you grief. Let it out. Tell me, I'll listen."

On the inside Hermione felt horrible for the worry she was causing her best friend. She also felt anger, but not at Harry but at herself for being too cowardly to let her real feelings through.

She turned on her heel and walked back to where the Head Boy was standing. He opened his arms to her as she approached. Just as Harry predicted she walked into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his torso and allowing herself to let out the heart breaking sobs she had constricted for months after her parents death.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry for everything, making you worry, acting like a cold prat to you, my best friend, of all people," she sobbed desperately into his shirt.

"Shh, 'Mione, I understand. The sadness, the anger, the coldness you express to the people you care about most, I experienced it. I'm here to help you move on," Harry cooed, smoothing her hair back and tightening his hold around her petite form.

"Harry," she whispered, calming her hysterical sobbing to hushed quick intakes of shaky breaths, "thank you."

"Don't thank me, 'Mione. I should be the one thanking you for all the years you stuck by me during my depression, my anger, and my intolerable mood swings."

"But you have to understand, Harry, that I can't fully open up to you…at least, not yet," Hermione told him, withdrawing from Harry's embrace somewhat but not completely.

"Don't worry, Mione, I know; jut know when you're ready to open up to somebody, I'll be here for you," Harry reassured her, burying his face into her mass of curls he loved so much. "Forever and always," he whispered to himself so only he could hear what he had said.

Suddenly, it started to snow lightly and the temperature that was already frigid appeared to be dropping steadily. "Let's go in, 'Mione. It's getting cold."

"Okay," Hermione agreed. And together the duo trotted back into the castle.

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The group consisting of one Slytherin, one Ravenclaw, and three Gryffindors sighed in unison from their position clustered together near and window on the fourth floor observing the two Head students. The guys sighed in disappointmentand the girls sighed at how cute Hermione and Harry looked while they were hugging, even if Hermione was crying. In fact Ginny and Luna thought that Hermione crying in Harry's embrace made it look like a scence from a romance movie, thus making it that much more sweet.

"That was adorable!" Ginny squealed.

"It was!" Luna agreed whole heartedly. The boys simple gave them weird looks. What was so adorable about it? Hermione was crying!

Draco ran a hand through his silken light blonde locks. "Potter didn't act at all the way we predicted him to," he commented.

"I guess we have to come up with another way to get them together," Luna voiced in that dreamy sort of sigh she never seemed to be able to get rid of. "Too the Room of Requirement!" she announced, leading the group to the room much like a general in the army would lead his or her troops into battle. The group chuckled at her silly antics before following her to the Room of Requirement.

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The two Gryffindor Heads reached the entrance to their shared common room arm in arm, a light dusting of snow covering each of them. Harry said the password and the statue of the knight moved aside to allow them entrance, eyeing them as they walked in and it closed shut behind them.

"I'm going to go take a shower and change," Hermione informed Harry.

"Me too," Harry said, and they separated to go to their individual dorm rooms.

A half an hour later the two were back in the common room watching the fire in their pajamas, dusk having taken over twenty minutes ago outside.

"Shall we continue the game from yesterday?" Harry asked Hermione, breaking the comfortable silence that had overcome them ten minutes prior.

"Sure. I believe it's your turn," Hermione told him.

"You're correct, 'Mione. Like always," he teased her; she hit him playfully in the arm in response.

"Just ask me a question, prat," she grumbled, resting her head on Harry's shoulder.

"Fine, fine, so inpatient," he commented lightheartedly again. "What was your favorite memory as a kid, 'Mione?"

She stiffened at the question, and Harry wrapped his arm soothingly around her to let her know that he was there. Hermione took in a calming breath, leaning into Harry for comfort. "I have to say it was when my dad dressed up as a princess on Halloween and took me trick or treating around the block because I told him to dress up as a princess and take me. My mum got it all on camera too." Instead of tearing up like she thought she would she started to laugh joyfully.

Harry joined her as they laughed for two straight minutes, their faces turning a fire engine red from the lack of air they were taking in. When they saw each others' red faces they started to burst out in another round of hysterical laughter.

About one minute later they were able to calm themselves and Hermione was able to continue the game. "Who do you fancy?" Hermione couldn't stop herself from asking, she was just so curious.

Harry's face colored. "Pass," he sputtered.

"Come on, Harry, you can tell me," Hermione persisted.

"I'd rather not."

Hermione was still curious, but did not want to irritate Harry so she dropped the subject. "Okay. Ask me the next question."

"Well, I can't think of one at the moment. Can we continue it when I come up with a question?"

"Well, that's not usually how the game works but I'll make an exception for you. I'm going to go study and then go to sleep. Goodnight, Harry," she kissed his cheek and left the room to go up to her room.

"Goodnight, 'Mione," he called after her, going back to staring at the fire with a content smile adorning his pale face.

'_I think the old 'Mione is coming back.'_

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"I say we should just look them in a closet or a classroom and wait until they confess their love for one another."

"That's an absurd idea, Ron!" Ginny chided angrily.

"What's your idea, then?" Ron snapped at his sister.

She smiled so evilly that it would make any Death Eater pee in his pants, if there were any left that is.

"Well…" Ginny began.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Draco commented as Ginny finished explaining her plan.

"Okay, we'll put Ginny's plan in motion tomorrow. For now let's all go to bed and rest since it's almost curfew." They nodded and cleared out of the room in order to go their separate ways to their house common room.

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_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please review._


	6. Sick Day

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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Draco watched as Harry and Hermione stepped out of their Heads common room all bundled up in layers in order to face the cold weather that was sure to meet them outside of the castle when they made their way to Hogsmeade, where most of the school population would be spending their day.

Hermione sneezed. "Hello, Draco," she sniffled, "ready to go to Hogsmeade?"

"Hermione," Draco began, steeping forward, "you're sick. You should stay here in order to get better," he finished.

"Good luck trying to get her to stay behind," Harry scoffed. "I tried, but she said that the trip was too important to miss," Harry said, turning to face Hermione with concern shining in his green eyes. "Come on, 'Mione. If you go you'll just end up getting sicker," the Gryffindor Head Boy pleaded to his co-head.

"I don't want to disappoint Draco, Harry," she reasoned. "I'm sure this trip is important to him."

"I can go alone, Hermione. I'll be fine. You, however, need your rest if you want to get better."

"Yeah, 'Mione," Harry input, "Malfoy will be fine on his own."

Under the combined forces of the two boys Hermione cracked. "Fine," she said, giving up. "But one of you better bring me back a bar Honeydukes premium chocolate, got it?" she asked in a mock demanding tone.

Draco chuckled. "I'll bring back more than a bar of your precious chocolate." He winked at Hermione. "Make sure to get better," the Malfoy heir ordered and, with one last wink and a hug to Hermione, disappeared behind a corner.

"Harry?" Hermione inquired, curious as to why he was still standing by her side. "Shouldn't you get going? You'll miss the carriages if you don't head out now."

"I'm staying here," he told her.

"Why?" Needless to say she was even more confused now.

"To take care of you, of course," he said matter-o-factly.

"That not necessary, Harry," she began, but stopped when a cough escaped her sore throat. "You should go and have fun with all our other friends."

"No," he argued, "I'm staying with you."

"But," she began.

"Please, 'Mione, you always took care of me when I needed it, and now it's my turn to return the favor," Harry cut her off.

'_How can I say no to that look?' _Hermione thought desperately after seeing the insistent look in her best friends bottle green eyes. She sighed. "Fine," she said.

He cheered at the fact that he won momentarily before gently pulling Hermione along with him into the common room after saying the password to get in.

He pushed her towards the stairs to her individual girls' dorm. "Go change into your pajamas and get into bed. I'm going to see Madam Pomfrey and get you some Dreamless Sleep potion to help you sleep and remove that bug from your system." She nodded and trudged up the stairs to her room.

After hearing the door to Hermione's room close softly he left the common room in order to go to see Madam Pomfrey about the Dreamless Sleep potion.

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"Where are Hermione and Harry?" Ginny asked as Draco reached them without the Head students in tow.

"Hermione came down with something, and I supposed Potter stayed to take care of her," Draco explained to the others.

Ginny cursed under her breath. "Well, that totally ruins my plan," she sighed, bringing up a hand to comb through her fiery red hair. "Anyone else got one?"

"We'll talk about it on the way to Hogsmeade," the sixth year Ravenclaw said, ushering everyone into the carriage they would all share.

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"Madam Pomfrey," Harry called softly as he entered the Hogwarts infirmary wing.

The Hogwarts Healer rushed over to him. "Mister Potter? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Hogsmeade with the other students?"

"Yes, but Hermione got sick and I offered to stay behind and take care of her," he explained to the elderly nurse.

"That's so sweet of you, Mister Potter. And I'm assuming that you are here to retrieve some Dreamless Sleep potion for Miss Granger?" He nodded in confirmation. "Alright, I'll be right back." She came back a minute later with the potion in hand. "Here you go. This should put her to sleep for two hours. When she wakes make sure to ask the house elves down in the kitchens to make some soup and tea with honey for her. Tell Miss Granger I hope she recovers soon." The Healer handed the Harry the potion.

"I will. Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." Harry turned and existed after expressing his thanks to the Healer.

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"Everything we try doesn't work," Ron murmured over the top of his Butterbeer. "Maybe we should just give up," he suggested to the others.

"No," Ginny argued. "We're not giving up. I'm determined to get them together."

"You know what's funny?" the blonde Ravenclaw questioned the group of three Gryffindors and one Slytherin gathered at their table in the back of The Three Broomsticks. "That Hermione is regarded as being the smartest witch of her age, and yet can't see that Harry is madly in love with her."

Ginny snorted. "Well, I guess Harry must be as dumb as a post because he obliviously can't see that Hermione has more than sisterly feeling for him."

"You know what they say about fools in love," Draco commented.

"I have an idea," Neville spoke up.

"What is it?" Luna questioned eagerly.

Neville started to explain the plan, whispering so none of the people at the other tables would over hear what they were conversing about.

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Harry took an experimental step on the stairs leading up to Hermione's room. He sighed in relief when the stairs didn't immediately turn into a slide.

'_Hermione must have figured out the counter charm,' _Harry thought as he climbed the stairs.

He opened the door and took a step inside. "'Mione?" he whispered softly. Harry found a smile gracing his face at the sight of a slumbering Hermione tucked tightly into her sheets.

'_I guess she won't need this.'_ The Boy Who Lived set down the potion and left with a soft click of the door to allow Hermione to rest.

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"That plan is so simple it just might work," Draco said, leaning back in his chair.

"Hopefully it might work," Ron input. "I mean, we already have…what? Three failed plans, right?"

"Gosh!" Ginny exclaimed. "Honestly, Ron! Stop being so negative all the time!"

"I'm not being negative, Ginny!" Ron shot back. "I'm being truthful! I think Harry should just tell Hermione his feelings already!"

"Calm down, Ron, Ginny," Luna ordered, setting a hand on their shoulders. "It couldn't hurt to try one more plan, Ron," Luna reasoned.

"I suppose you're right, Luna," Ron said, caving under his crushes soft voice and gentle expression.

Draco cleared his throat to grab their attention. "When are we going to put this plan in action?"

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Hermione had been asleep for the past hour and Harry had been lazing around the common room, polishing his wand and finishing up last minute homework. When, suddenly, he heard a shrill scream come from upstairs. "'Mione!" he responded, rushing up the stairs to his best friends room in a rush.

"'Mione!" he yelled, opening the door loudly and bargaining in.

He saw her sitting up in bed, a haunted look in her eyes as she stared blankly at the wall across from where she rested. "Oh, 'Mione…" He crawled into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly and enveloping her in a hug.

"Harry…" she whispered hoarsely, her head resting on his shoulder, completely limp in his hold as her eyes continued to stare blankly now at the wall that was previously behind her since she was turned facing the headboard of her bed in Harry's hold. "It was horrible…I was in the car with them, and…and I watched them die…"

Harry hushed her. "It's alright, 'Mione. I'm here. I'll always be here."

"T-Thank you, Harry," she choked out.

"No problem. Now, since you're awake, I'll go ask the house elves to make you some soup and tea," Harry said softly.

Since she was too weak to argue with Harry about not bothering the house elves with her silly request she let it be. "Okay. Don't be too long, Harry."

"Don't worry, 'Mione. McGonagall told me that we have the privilege of having a floo network hooked up to our fireplace, so I won't be too long," he explained.

"Okay." Harry left the room and went down into the common room to floo to the kitchens.

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Harry came back with a tray laden with a steaming bowl of chicken soup and a cup of warm tea with honey added in it.

Hermione sat up in bed and allowed Harry to lay the tray into her lap. "The elves really out did themselves," Hermione commented after tasting the soup.

"Yes, well, apparently they love to cook," Harry responded.

"No," Hermione began sarcastically, "I would have never guessed."

"I know, right?" Harry shot back equally as sarcastic as his best friend.

Hermione snorted into her tea. After Hermione had finished eating her soup and drinking her tea Harry removed the tray from her lap and set it on the bear bedside table to his left from his perch on a chair Hermione had managed to conjure for him while he was away.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked.

Hermione hummed. "Better. My headache is almost completely gone; my nose isn't as stuffed anymore; and my throat isn't so sore thanks to that honey the elves put in the tea."

They were enveloped in silence for all of thirty seconds, until Harry decide to break it, "'Mione?" the Head Boy questioned, gripping Hermione's hand lightly.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Do...Do you want to talk about it?"

Hermione opened her mouth to object, but changed her mind. "Actually, Harry, I do."

Harry smiled tenderly. "Let it out. I'm here to listen."

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_Another chapter done!_

_Please Review._


	7. Tripping Jinx

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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"I don't know why you're making me stay in bed longer, Harry. I'm completly better," Hermione complained.

Harry pursed his lips. "You may think you're all better, Hermione, but you really aren't," Harry told her sturnly.

"Yes, I am!" she argued, tugging loose her blankets and sitting up.

"Really? Then stand up," Harry ordered.

"Fine," Hermione huffed. She stood up slowly from the bed. "See, I'm fine. Now, can we go play in the snow?"

Harry sighed, giving in to her request. "Okay."

The Head Girl cheered at her victory before shooing her co-head out of the room. "Off you go, Harry. I need to change."

Once again, Harry sighed before he closed the door behind him and went to get ready to go out and face the frigid weather.

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The group of five trudged their way back to their carriage through the snow that covered the majority of the ground. "What do you suppose Harry and Hermione are doing right now?" Ginny asked the other four completly out of the blue.

"With any luck, snogging each other senseless," Ron answered. "That would make our lives a whole lot easeir."

"Too bad their both daft," Draco added in. "If the next plan fails, then they'll never realize just how much they fancy each other before their fifty."

"If the next plan fails, then we'll just try another one," Luna said, entering the carriage with everyone in tow.

The boys groaned.

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"Come on, Harry," Hermione called, throwing a perfectly packed snowball at the Boy-Who-Conqured.

The snowball hit Harry square in the chest, desolving into a wet mess on impact. "Oh. You'll pay for that one, Hermione Jean!" Harry yelled playfully, breaking out into a run after the witch.

She squealed and took off running when she saw Harry began to get ready to chase her. "You'll never catch me, Harry James!" Hermione retorted, adding in his middle name like he had hers.

Of course, Harry caught her in the end.

He swiftly grabbed her around the waist from behind and proceeded to swing her around, her feet swining in front of her. "Put me down!" she giggled.

"If you insist," Harry said, a wicked smile coming to his face. He dropped her onto the cold earth on her butt uncermiously.

"I didn't mean literally," Hermione said, scrambling to get off of the ground before her bum froze off.

"You said: 'Put me down!', so I did," Harry told her inocently. "In fact, you should be proud of me for listening to you for once."

"I don't think she very much enjoyed being dropped on her arse like that, Potter. And they say you're a gentleman," a new male voice scoffed behind the duo.

"No one asked you, Malfoy," Harry hissed, glaring at the blonde.

Hermione spun on her heel to face the heir of the Malfoy fourtne. "Language, Draco," she scolded. "Did you bring me my chocolate?"

He held the bag with Honeydukes printed in fancy script printed on it out to Hermione. "Of course," he said.

She smiled happily, running up to Draco in order to retreive the bag. "Thank you!" she said, wrapping her arms around Draco's neck and pulling him into a hug.

"No problem," he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist in response.

Once she pulled away from Draco's embrace, taking the bag contaning the choclate she ahd been craving with her, she asked, "Shall we go and hacve some hot choclate in the Great Hall to warm us back up?"

Draco nodded, and Hermione hooked her arm through his. They started to walk back to the anceint castle, when Hermione suddenly stopped. She twisted her head around to stare at the black haired boy, who had been left behind in the cold snow. "Harry?" she questioned, "Are you coming?"

Harry brightend instantly and ran to catch up to the Gryffindor and Slytherin pair. He hooked his arm through Hermione's other arm, and, togther, the trio headed back to Hogwarts.

_

_

_

The next day came quickly. It ws, unfourtnely, a Monday, which meant that classes had been resumed for the week.

Harry and Ron were walking down the corridor to the library, actually intending to get their homewrk done before last minute so they would aviod a harsh scolding from Hermione, and Luna and Hermione were walking the other way away from the library. They were fast approching each other.

Once they got the prefect lenght away from each other, Ginny whispered a Tripping Jinx with her wand amied at Hermione and Neville whispred a Tripping Jinx amied at Harry. But, do to their exprience at dueling and seeing attacks amied for them from the shadows, Harry and Hermione stepped back at the last possible second. Instead, the jinx hit Ron and Luna. They went tumbling to the floor, Luna landing on top of Ron, their lips accidently connecting.

"Uh..." Hermione coughed akwardly as the couple on the floor got into a heated snogging session. She turned to Harry. "Let's...let's get out of here," she suggested. Harry agreed quickly, and they hastlly walked away from the scence.

Ginny cursed under her breath. Her and Neville emerged from the shadows, and strowed over to the Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw still on the floor.

"Guys," Ginny called, trying to break Ron and Luna out of their snogging session. "Guys...?" she tried again. Still, she got no reasponse. "Guys." Still nothing. "Guys!" No. "GUYS!" she finally yelled, losing her patince. Luna and Ron finally broke apart, startled by Ginny's loud yell.

"Wha...What is it?" Ron questioned, his lips a deep red and swollen from the frantic kissing he and Luna had just taken part in.

"The plan didn't work," Ginny informed them.

"Who cares?" Ron asked. He pulled Luna down for another round of heavy snogging.

The redhead sighed. "Come on, Neville. Let's leave them be."

"Okay," Neville answered, following Ginny back to the Gryffindor common room.

_

_

_

The group of one Slytherin, one Ravenclaw, and three Gryffindors meet again in the Room of Requirment that night. They went over plan after potentiel plan, and still came up short after deciding that each plan wasn't good enough or wouldn't work in getting the two best freinds together.

"That's it," Draco voiced, finally cacking after four failed plans. "These plans will never work. I'm taking matters into my own hands from now on. You can choose wheather or not to join me," the Slytherin told the group.

"It depends," Luna said. "What do you have in mind?"

Draco smirked the way only a true Slytherin knew how to.

_

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_

_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please review._


	8. An End to Plans

_I don't own "Harry Potter".  
_ _

"That's your plan, really?" Ginny asked the Slytherin, unable to believe what he suggested they do as a last ditch effort to get Harry and Hermione together.

"It is quite brilliant," Luna commented from the side.

"You can't be serious, Luna!" Ron spoke up next to his Ravenclaw girlfriend.

"I agree with Luna, actually," Neville added in, sitting on the couch behind the four standing people.

"Are you kidding, Neville?" Ginny questioned, dropping down on the couch next to the older Gryffindor.

"What's wrong with my plan, Weasley?" Draco inquired, asking both the younger and older Weasley.

"It's quite simple, Malfoy," Ron responded. "This plan of yours won't work."

"You can be quite dense sometimes, Ronald," Luna voiced, shaking her head and embracing the redhead.

"Luna!" Ron whined. "How can you agree with Malfoy?"

"Think about it, Ronald," she said. "When has Harry ever been away from Hermione and been able to still function properly?"

"Well, there was that one time in third year when we got anger at her over the Firebolt," he rebutted.

"That may be true, Ron, but Harry was a mess without Hermione. He missed her dearly during that period, admit it," Neville added in.

"Okay, so what if he was? This plan still won't work," he argued stubbornly, turning his head away from Luna. There was no way would a plan the ferret came up with to get Hermione and Harry together would end up serving its purpose. It wasn't possible, and Ronald Weasley knew it. His plan of pushing his two best friends in a closet and locking it would be better than Malfoy's completely nutty plan.

Draco smirked, raising a thin blond eyebrow at the Gryffindor male. "We'll see about that, Weasley. Slytherins are known for their cunning that exceeds all others, after all."  
_

Later that week, Harry was sitting on the couch located in the Heads quarters and waiting for Hermione so she could explain the uses of a particularly nasty potion Slughorn had them research before brewing it in class the next day.

"Hermione," he called as the heroin of the Wizarding World rushed down the stairs of her dormitory in a hurry.

"No time, Harry. Draco just owled me to meet him on the grounds. He says he's ready to talk about his father! Isn't that wonderful, Harry! Draco's finally making a breakthrough!" She said this all in a rush, searching for the scarf Harry had given her awhile back. It was her favorite scarf that she owned, so she wore it every time she went out in the frigged winter weather that started to set in more and more each day.

"What about my essay for Potions, Hermione!" he yelled as she made her way to the portrait hole.

"I'll help you when I get back, promise!" she called over her shoulder as she left.

Harry sighed angrily. This was the third time this week that Hermione had left him alone once Malfoy had called for her. He couldn't believe that git was taking all of Hermione's time away from him. _If he keeps taking her time away from me, I might just do something I may regret later on, _Harry thought, dropping his head into his hands.

"What's the matter with you, mate?" Ron asked the next morning as Harry sat down for breakfast with a scowl marring his features and looking like he hadn't slept well at all the previous night.

"Malfoy, that's my problem," Harry growled as he spooned some eggs onto the plate that had appeared the moment he took is regular seat in the middle of the Gryffindor House table.

Ron's eyes widened slightly as he almost chocked on his toast. _The ferret's plan is actually working? _he thought as he hit his chest a few times.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at his long time friend.

"No, nothing's wrong," Ron reassured him, pilling more toast onto his plate easily. "So, what's you problem with Malfoy?"

"He's taking all of Hermione's time away from me," Harry complained, scrapping his eggs with his fork but never actually picking any up and depositing any in his mouth.

Ron couldn't comment on his predicament, however, as Hermione took a seat across the table from Harry. "Hello, Ron. Hello, Harry," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron greeted. Harry, however, did not greet his female friend like he normally would have. Instead, the Potter heir stabbed his eggs one last time with his fork, dropped it on his plate, scowled at Hermione, and grabbed his satchel before getting up off the bench and exiting the Great Hall with a flurry of his school robes behind him.

"What's his problem?" Hermione inquired, frowning. Ron shook his head and continued eating what was left of his breakfast.  
_

"Harry," Hermione inquired softly as she entered the Heads common room after another meeting with Draco had ended.

"What?" he hissed from the couch, staring into the blazing orange-red fire with his arms crossed protectively against his chest.

"I...Harry, what have I done to make you so mad at me?" she questioned, taking a seat next to him on the couch and placing her hand gently over his. He pulled his hand away from under hers, scowling. Hermione hid the hurt she was feeling at his rejection to her touch and moved away slightly from him on the couch to give him space.

"Like you don't know," he replied sourly.

The Gryffindor Princess narrowed her deep brown eyes at her best friend. "No, I don't know," she informed sharply. "I wouldn't be asking if I knew, Harry. I would be trying to solve the problem. Tell me what I did so we can put this behind us," Hermione said. "Please," she added in so Harry wouldn't think she was being overly pushy like she sometimes had the tendency to be.

"Malfoy," Harry breathed bitterly.

"Are you serious, Harry? This is about Draco? I thought we already put this behind us," she said.

"I thought we did, too," he voiced. "Then you started to ditch me, your best friend, for him. How could you do that?" Harry questioned sadly, but there was still a touch of anger in his voice.

"I was trying to help him, Harry. How many times must I explain this to you? He just lost his father! He needs someone to be there for him!" she exclaimed, her voice raising slightly in pitch.

"That's what you've been saying from day one!" Harry yelled over her. "You don't need to be the one that's there for him, Hermione! There are plenty of other people who he can confide in!" They were standing now, just like the first time they argued over Malfoy.

"Like who, Harry? If you haven't noticed, no one in this school is particularly civil to him! They all still think he's some slimy Death Eater and not a human!"

"He may not be a Death Eater, but he's still a slimy git! Can't you see what he's trying to do to us, Hermione!"

"What is he doing, Harry? All he's trying to do is make real friends for once! Why can't you get over what happened in the past and give him a chance?"

"He isn't trying to make friends! He's trying to split us up! He wants to make us hate each other so he can get you in his clutches!"

"And do what, Harry? What would he possibly do!"

"He would use you for his own pleasure! Can't you see it, Hermione! All he wants from you is you body, not your friendship! Malfoy doesn't make friends!"

In a fit of anger, Hermione slapped Harry across the face. It was hard enough to turn his head to the side. When he turned back to look Hermione in the eyes with his emerald ones, holding his throbbing cheek gingerly in his palm, Hermione looked hurt and mortified at what she'd just done. However, the hurt won over and Hermione addressed him sadly. "How...How dare you, Harry!"

She stormed out, and Harry was left alone in the quite room. "What have I done?" he asked himself weakly, slumping onto the maroon couch with his head in his hands. A tear dripped past the barrier his hands had made for his face and landed onto the floor beneath his feet.  
_

Hermione ran through the hallway surprisingly void of people. That is, until she ran into a hard mass and almost feel back from the speed she had hit the person at. Hermione didn't care who it was and gripped onto them, faintly recognizing the smell of freshly mowed grass the person carried. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron questioned as he pulled the crying female deeper into his chest. He'd never seen Hermione quite like this, and it was scary seeing the woman he thought was the strongest female he'd ever know behind his mother sobbing so openly.

"Harry," was all she manged to mumble out between her cries, and Ron almost didn't catch it because her voice was muffled greatly by his school robes.

_Another row? _he thought as he pulled Hermione away from him slightly so he could actually see her face. "It's alright, Hermione. It's going to be fine," he hushed. "I'm sure Harry didn't mean whatever he said to you. We males just get so angry sometimes and say the stupidest things we don't really mean."

Hermione stepped closer to her ex-boyfriend, resting her head on his shoulder and calming her cries to sniffles. "Really?" she asked.

"Of course, Hermione," he said. "We just tend to act like jealous gits sometimes."

There was silence for a few moments, and Hermione took that time to think how it felt to be back in Ron's hold like this and why their relationship had ended. The way Ron held her was comforting, and she likened it to the way a brother would hold his sister when she was sad. It felt nothing like when Harry held her. When Harry held her, she felt at home and safe. She felt like she truly belonged there with Harry in his embrace. "Ron?" she whispered.

"Yeah, Hermione?" he asked.

"Why didn't we work out?" Hermione questioned curiously.

The sixth Weasley son chuckled lowly. "It was because I could see you loved someone else more then you loved me."

"Were you actually in love with me when we were together, Ron?"

"Yes, Hermione, I was honestly in love with you. Unfortunately, you weren't in love with me. You loved me, true, but it wasn't the same way I loved you. I had to let you go when I figured that out. I couldn't force you to be with me when I knew you'd never feel the same way."

"I'm sorry, Ron."

"It's alright, Hermione. Luna helped me cope over the summer, and now I'm with her."

"Are you in love with her the same way you were with me?"

"I think I'm deeper in love with her then I was with you, truthfully."

"That's wonderful, Ron. You've found who you are really supposed to be with. Luna knows how to deal with your temper better than I do, anyway."

"Very funny, Hermione," he commented dryly.

"I know," she replied before there was momentary silence once again. "...Why did Harry and Ginny split up?" Harry and Ginny had made it seem like their relationship was so strong, and she never could grasp the possible reason to their sudden breakup.

Ron chucked again. "For the same reason we did," he informed. "Ginny could see Harry was in love with someone else, and couldn't bare to see him unhappy with her."

"Did Ginny ever find out who Harry was in love with?"

"Yes."

"Who is it?" Hermione asked, curious. She wanted to at least know the name of the girl she was going to lose Harry to in the end.

"...Harry's in love with you, Hermione..." At Ron's statement, Hermione sucked in a deep breath. "...And your in love with Harry..."  
_

Harry lifted his head, determined to find Hermione instead of letting the argument they had to ruin their eight year long friendship. He also knew he had to tell her that he was in love with her now, or her might never get the chance to again before she ran off with some other bloke she thought was better for her than Harry was.  
_

Hermione pulled away from Ron's embrace, a new light making its way into her eyes. "I have to go, Ron," she stated as she turned and ran the way she had came down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Ron called after her.

"To go find Harry and tell him I'm in love with him!" she yelled over her shoulder, smiling brightly at him once before turning her head away and increasing her foot speed.

"Finally," Ron sighed, relieved. "...Wait, this means the ferrets plan actually worked! Bloody Hell!"  
_

"Hermione!" Harry yelled as Hermione came towards him from the other end of the corridor.

"Harry!" she exclaimed as the Boy-Who-Conquered caught her in his strong embrace. She felt like she was at home and safe again.

As they calmed down, both made to speak.

"Harry-"

"Hermione-"

They both stopped, laughing as they remembered the same moment from a badly directed Muggle romance movie they had watched one time. "You go first, Harry," Hermione said as she stopped her laughing.

"I finally came up with a question to ask you to end our game of Truth," he informed, smiling at the witch.

"Yeah? What's the question, then?" she asked eagerly.

"Before I ask you, I have something to tell you. You can't pull away and run off once I tell you, agreed?" he questioned.

"Agreed," she said.

_Here it goes, _he thought. "I...I'm in love with you, Hermione," Harry confessed, staring down at her with his bottle-green eyes. "My question to you is if you feel the same way. Remember, you can't lie."

"Harry...," she began, and he prepared to hear the worst come from her beautiful lips. "...I can honestly say that I'm in love with you, too."

"Really?"

"Really." Harry pulled her in, slanting his mouth over hers gently.

The kiss felt nothing like what the movies described, although Hermione had never thought it would. There was no bright fireworks exploding in her vision, nor angles singing in the background to let her know that she had found "the one". It was only Harry and Hermione, a pleasant buzzing in both their ears, and the feeling of floating endlessly in a dream you never wanted to wake up from.  
_

_As many as you might have guessed by now, this is the ending to "Hurting". _

_I do hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and please review. Also, I want to know if I should so an epilogue or not. If you think I should make an epilogue for this story, put it in a review._


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